Joyous in love: The Soul Coach Colleen Sonmor
Inner Bellissima would like to welcome you to Part 3 of the feature series of the women who want to unleash the true beauty within you. If you've just dropped in, then please let me enlighten you on the mission we're on. In the past couple of weeks, I've presented Claire Benson the hypnotherapist and Mona Bhattacharya the healer, both of whom are on a mission to help women stand proud and confident in their own skin. I must say, the response has been wonderful so far and it's beautiful to see professional women harness their skills (and power) to help us fellow women to uncover our true beauty.
This week, I would like to welcome Colleen Sonmor, The Soul Coach. With 25 years experience in the health and beauty field, Colleen has a flair in bringing out a woman's outer beauty. However, her talents continue to flourish: her compassionate and genuine heart-felt concern for her clients has led her down the road of coaching women. Whilst working with her clients, she not only was their stylist, but their confidant too. These women were in desperate need of healing. Read on to find out how Colleen conquered her inner, brutal struggle which she triumphantly conquered, why listening to our bodies is the cue to better health and why we women have to be kinder to ourselves.
What is your programme service about?
My service/programme offers pschosomatic therapy which is about body/mind connection and the practical ways to integrate it. I teach the clients to listen to their body because it always tells the truth. We may lie to ourselves but the body cuts through denial and gives us messages when we are willing to listen. Many people wait till they are very sick or have a major crisis before they wake up or decide to listen (which is okay too but that is not the best way). We do have choices to change our lifestlye. I also offer soul coaching which is a way to clear away the inner clutter and find our truth. Both are ways to discover our truth and beauty.
What makes you want to inspire women to uncover their beauty?
What makes me want to inspire women to uncover their beauty is primarily because of my own journey of being very hard on myself and thinking that I was not good enough or could not do enough or simply be enough. I thought that I had to be more, do more and have more in order to have value and worth to participate in life. Now that I have discovered my inner beauty and true value and worth, I see what a difference it makes in my life and living: I am passionate about sharing and empowering others with my experience, strength and hope, so that they will be able to learn how to take all of the pressure off of themselves to experience their truths, passion and love themselves and their lives.
Do you think we can think ourselves beautiful?
I absolutely think that we can think ourselves beautiful. Our words have more power than we know. I am learning to understand the energy behind the words and the feeling they invoke and that they are very powerful. I personally take time every day to tell myself many positive, beautiful things about myself. It is extremely uplifting and I can feel my beauty radiating outwards. Also the feedback that I receive from people about how good I look, etc. is the feedback that lets me know that it works. Every word that we use influences and affects each atom and cell in our body. There are scientific studies done on this. So, why not try it yourself and see the effects. I am more beautiful everyday, inside and out!
What does inner beauty mean to you?
Inner beauty is what is inside me; the inner landscape, which includes my thoughts, feelinngs and my very essence; my Soul. It is my spirituality and my life force. I am love and feeling that and understanding that is my inner beauty. It has nothing to do with the outer appearance, but it does influence it because of the radiance you will emit when you plug into all of the love and inner beauty that you truly are. It lights you up in a way that no make up, face lift or any other cosmetic surgery ever could. Your truth is your inner beauty as well as your passions. Tapping into your nonphysical energy is the beginning and end of your inner beauty. LOVE is inner beauty.
Can you tell us about your journey on finding your beauty?
For much of my life people would tell me that I was pretty, good looking and sexy. I did not believe any of it. I would think that they wanted something from me or that they needed glasses. Other statements people would say are "Thankyou for being you", and many positive compliments in regards to my Inner Being. I did not believe any of it. I had a secret and that was as I mentioned before that I was not good enough. I hated myself. I was usually on a diet and exercise program so that I would look better so that I could find the love of my life and then I would feel better. I was on a mission to feel better, but did not have the words at the time. I developed alcholism, drug addiction, eating disorders (bulimia, anorexia, and plain old compulsive overeating) and cutting myself (to release the pain and punish myself). I was messed up. It also manifested in moving from relationship to relationship for many different reasons. I was looking for someone and something outside of myself to make me feel good, in the simplest terms.
My healing journey and finding my inner beauty began when I made some decisions to get help for my addictions. So bit by bit and step by step I began to learn about spirituality and what I was truly about. It has been a journey that has been for most of my life. I began when I was in my 20's and I am now 55. I have been in the beauty industry and healing industry for all of my career and now I want to focus on the inner beauty because I have seen many women struggling over the years. I have found ways to heal and overcome many of these issues and I want to share all my knowledge and make a difference in the world. Everytime I share or do one little thing to reach out or move beyond my comfort zone, I am making a difference. I am very aware of this and it moves me gently and lovingly forward with beauty and grace. No more "I have to" out of guilt, worry or not being good enough. I am motivated by love, pure and simple.
What do you think are the main hurdles women face when dealing with accepting their beauty?
I think the main hurdles women face when dealing with accepting their beauty are the media and fear of change. When we can learn to find our own beauty and not buy into what the media is feeding us, then we will be able to move forward. The fear of change keeps us locked into where we are and hiding who we really are keeps us safe, or so we may think. There are so many subtle things that hold us back. Another major hurdle that hold women back is the time factor. They think that they have to put everyone else first. It is a belief system that goes deep and is hard to lift ourselves out of. Even when it is pointed out that when you are flying you are required to put the oxygen mask on yourself first before you can help or do anything for anyone else, women still cannot see it. We need to wake up to that.
In your opinion, how can we begin to help women have a healthier image of themselves?
In my opinion we can begin to help women have a healthier image of themselves by simply not buying into what the media is presenting and to begin to notice themselves and teach them to take time and appreciate who they are, inside and outside. I teach women to look in the mirror, directly into their eyes and see what is there and to say: I love you. I also teach them to keep it simple and to look for one thing that they like about themselves and to focus and build on that. Anyone can find one thing that they like and appreciate about themselves! This is how to begin.
Quit whining about yourself and your life and find one thing that you like And then go from there. Gratitude and appreciation and then forgiveness and starting over when you forget. You are learning a new way to think and it is a process. Do not give up on yourself, because you are beautiful! You are here for a reason and have a purpose. One day at a time, just begin to learn to love you.
Find out how Colleen can blitz those nagging insecurities through her Soul Coaching programme on:
www.myinnerbeautyspa.com
